Announcements
Snowgear Check: Students came in from recess very wet & muddy. Please wash all gear. Also, please check if you are not missing any items, and all your items continue to have labels. Our Lost & Found is overflowing, so now is a great time to collect any misplaced items. The Lost & Found gets donated during Spring Break- so be sure to collect any items soon!
Wellness: It seems as though a number of different viruses are making the rounds. To highlight Ms. Trena’s message from the School News Blog before break, please refrain from sending your child to school sick. Keep them home until they are well (fever and/or vomit free for 24 hours minimum) to protect our entire school crew. If you feel your child is in need of OTC medicine before school, they should remain home. Students may not bring cough drops/lollipops to self-administer at school. Thank you for your help in keeping everyone well.
My Thoughts on the Auction Fundraiser:
Here is my personal plug for the Auction Fundraiser. :) Our school has done an amazing job with narrowing down the fundraisers to two a year- Renaissance Adventure Day (RAD Day) and an Auction Fundraiser. These have become meaningful and celebrated rituals of Renaissance. One of the things that I love most about these is how HUGE of an impact these have for students, teachers, and classrooms. When I first started teaching at Renaissance (2009!), there were only a few computers carts for the whole school--- now we have 1:1 technology for all students! This is so amazing to prepare students as digital learners. Another year, the money was used to purchase our 2 white buses that allow our school to have more opportunities to do authentic fieldwork. WOW! I LOVE THAT RENAISSANCE FUNDRAISING DIRECTLY IMPACTS OUR LEARNERS! So money aside, this is a super fun night, where you get to dress up and connect with other Renaissance parents. Every year, my husband and I look forward to this evening. Please consider coming. It is such a great event for a great cause- your kids! I hope to see you there! Buy your tickets today!
Theme - Red, White, and READ
Where - the Philip and Jerry Library (in Castle Rock)
Time 6 - 10:30 pm
We'll have food and drinks to enjoy while you bid on awesome items and experiences in the Silent & Live Auctions including Teacher Time, Crew Art, theme baskets & more!
Enjoy this adults-only event to visit with other Renaissance parents and our teachers and staff.
Early bird prices area available now!
Winter Hike - We will be going on a winter hike on Friday, March 1st. Our hike will be along Plum Creek Trail from the Meadows trailhead to Festival Park. Permission slips are coming home today in Take Home Folders. Please sign and return next week. We will need parent chaperones. We will need you from 8:30-12:30. Last call for chaperones! Please let me know by Monday if you would like to join us.
Next Wednesday!
Valentine's Day Card Exchange: Valentine's Day is less than a month away! At REMS and in the spirit of Crew, please make valentines for everyone in our crew. Homemade is encouraged but store-bought is great too. No candy or food please. Small trinkets or crafts are okay. A list of first names can be found HERE, which has the names of students and staff members (optional). My suggestion is to begin having your child write out 2-3 names each day, rather than a large chunk right before. Your child should also bring a box to school on that day, approximately shoebox size with access to drop in valentines, and his or her name clearly displayed. What a great, authentic opportunity for writing and practicing handwriting! This is another experience that brings our crew close together. Please let me know if you have other questions! We will celebrate on February 14th.
*Please make a Valentine Card for your child's 4th grade buddy.*Please note: do not send extra gifts, treats, or candies for buddies. There have been a lot of hurt feelings in the past from some buddies giving gifts and other not getting any- so we strongly ask that only cards are exchanged.
Rug Washing Sign Up: Now updated for Second Semester. Thank you and don't forget to log your volunteer hours into Track It Forward.
Second Semester Rug Washing Sign Up
News from Our Crews: Thanks for staying informed with Ms. Trena's weekly newsletter. Check it out here: News from our Crews
Calendar
Crew Highlights:
Learning Highlights in Your Child's Take Home Folder:
There are a number of items to take note of coming home in Take Home Folders today. You can use these items for an informal student led conference. But here is some background, so that you know what you are looking at. :)
-Published Writing: Students have been working very hard on this Unit of Making Pattern Books. These booklets are three or more pages. We worked on making the first words repeat on each page. Some experimented with "breaking the pattern" on the last page, which was similar to our mentor text. As a fun addition, students added an "About the Author" page at the end. It was fun to see what 2-3 facts they wanted to share about themselves. Students selected their favorite pattern book to "publish." With publishing we spent some extra time to revise, edit, and "make it even better!" As a note, most of the book was done independently with some feedback from teachers. We are not looking for perfection but to grow in writing and with the revision process. Please take a few minutes to celebrate!
-Writing Reflection/Self Assessment: We took some time to look at ALL the writing we have done for this unit. Then students completed the Writing Reflection sheet, in which they identified what they were feeling most proud about and an upcoming goal. Then students took a second look at their published writing to self assess on how they are doing on our writing criteria: being able to read own writing, sounding out words, spelling high frequency words correctly, capitals, periods, and using lowercase letters. Please have them share this with you too! Our Crew has come a long way in their writing and their ability to self assess their own writing to see current progress and notice what next steps might be- in kindergarten! Way to go CREW!
-Benchmark Reading Logs: At the end of each reading unit, students take a Benchmark Reading Assessment. This assesses students on the comprehension skills that we are targeting. We review test taking strategies and students select a goal to focus on while they take their test. Samples goals include: listen to the story, listen to the question, listen to the answer choices, go slow, and do my best. Then afterward, I meet with students to record the correct number of questions out of ten. This allows us to check in about if they beat their "score" from the last test or how it went. Then as a whole group, we review the assessment to go over any confusion or misunderstandings. Today the Reading Log came home that shows this information from Unit 1-5. Please have your child tell you about it.
-Interim Assessment: The Benchmark Unit Reading Assessments are online, so I thought it would be good to try the paper version for the longer midyear interim assessment. We did this as a whole group with me reading the passages and questions out loud. The first parts include two stories with comprehension questions. The second half had students identify the correct CVC word. I don't usually do a percentage, but I thought it might be helpful to inform your child's progress.
-Phonics Book: The Unit 5 phonics book came home today. There is a combination of texts that we read together and that your child can read independently. Also, there are great games and sample at-home activities to reinforce learning, if you are interested.
As always, if you have any questions or would like to schedule a time for an academic update, please feel free to reach out. I am happy to meet with you!
Hooray for celebrating all this great learning! 100 days smarter! :)
And now, here are highlights from 100 Day and Expedition.
